All-Grain

All-grain allows for much greater control than extract, is cheaper in the long-term (more on that later) and can produce different (not necessarily better) beers. Partial mashing is a good option to help produce a good extract brew, and if you like it stay with it. I will say that all-grain doesn't have to be expensive, there was recently a huge discussion on rcb about it and the consensus was that all-grain can be done for little or no extra money compared to extract. My all-grain setup cost me around $50 and I have recouped that cost in my first three batches.

You can make most any style you want with partial-mashing. The main differences for me were cost and the ability to make drier beers. I've found that all my extract brews tended to be a little chewy and sweet. I love them, but I've wanted to make beers that fermented a little more and I wanted to save money per batch using all-grain. With all-grain I can make a drier or sweeter beer simply by changing my mash temperature, and I have greater control over every other variable in the brewing process.

I made a manifold for my old square cooler for $5, got hold of a free keg, had it cut for free, got a nice turkey fryer for $20 at Lowes (it came with a useable 7-gallon pot, too), and made a 50' chiller for less than $20. My average extract batch cost $30-$40 and my average all-grain costs $10-$25. Now that I'm saving and repitching yeast my cost/batch is going down another $5-$7.

Now, don't get me wrong. I was an extract brewer for years and will still make some batches using extract, I've just found that all-grain doesn't have to be a headache and isn't all that expensive to get into. The biggest costs will be your heat source and your kettle. Stick with partial-mashing if you like or do what I did at first and make 3-gallon batches using a cheap fishing cooler and the spigot from your bottling bucket. If you like small AG batches then get some more equipment. I was patient and spent a year building up my equipment before it ever got any use.

I agree, the cost per batch is a definite plus. and the extra equipment can be fairly inexpensive with some creativity and shopping around ( a great place is a mexican or asian market) Just doing full boils made a huge difference in my beer then AG expanded that. I did extract/grain for years and just started AG, I don't know that I'll ever go back.

Amen. The full boil makes a HUGE difference, especially in the hot break and with hop utilization. I thought making and using an immersion chiller would be a PITA, but it isn't difficult at all and actually reduces labor (no more ice baths, etc...). Even with my future extract batches I'll be using my big kettle.